Old Jasper Blankenship went out to hunt deer the other day, the same way he’s done for decades now. He’s slower than he used to be, of course. Deer season has changed a lot for Jasper over the many ye...

Last weekend saw one of the most exciting times in a young outdoor person’s life — the youth gun hunt, which took place statewide. Three young men from the eastern part of our state participated and h...

Once upon a time everyone had preferred magazines. I still do. Arizona Hiways and Oklahoma Coach. I was thumbing through the October 2023 edition of the Oklahoma Coach and spotted the Oklahoma Footbal...

I think there must be autumnal reasons for Halloween being hued in orange and black. It’s a fun time, a magic evening if you’re a kid, and if you’re a grandpa-type guy, like me, who gets to hand out t...

The arrival of somewhat cooler temperatures this week has the deer population feeling frisky. I hope the temperatures continue in this vein all the way to muzzleloader season, which opens Oct. 28 and ...

In a recent Just Thinkin’ I suggested a solvent and prosperous Mexico might be a solution to the immigration difficulty along our southern border. I do believe tired and struggling immigrants, clingin...

The sign in front of the gas station says “Unleaded, 3.39, special on Colt .357 Magnum, six-inch barrel.” Visitors here in the valley do a double take when they see Vince’s sign there at what we all k...

I am never certain if it is me or if it is the speed of events which each in its own fashion steal my attention. Regardless, the end result is the same, some loosely connected thoughts. I was listenin...

We didn’t have the Chipper Invitational Golf Tournament this year. It wasn’t a good summer for anything that takes place outdoors, for one thing. Just too danged hot. For another, people we knew all o...

In writing a recent Just Thinkin’, I was reminded that a genuine mystery lay in expectation. I believe expectation enhances most human experiences. Expectation, anticipation generates an eagerness tha...

“You hear ‘bout Andy’s barn?” asked Dud. We nodded and had another sip of morning coffee. “You s’pose it was all globally warmed up?” “Beats me, Windy. Could be.” “Buncha that,” Windy said. “On the ne...

My phone rang. I glanced at my Caller I.D. It was nobody I knew. At least I was reasonably certain I didn’t know anyone currently residing in Bokoshe or Bugtussle. As if to erase all doubt, “Spam Risk...

It was just one of those crazy mixups, you know. Like when one thing goes wrong it triggers another thing that goes wrong and that sets off a multiplicity of crash-and-burns that are remembered long a...

The great outdoors and my love of archery probably kept me out of a lot of trouble during my youth. My first bow was a Browning Wasp Recurve, and I roamed the neighborhood imagining that I was the leg...

Over the years I’ve heard several cliches counseling against coming to know your heroes too well. I suppose there is wisdom there. I have discovered what is true for heroes is also true for long favor...

We all read about Pastor Jeff’s latest tribulation in the local paper, the Valley Weekly Miracle. Maybe tribulation is too strong a word, because, after all, when someone leaves your church a huge leg...

With the deer season just two weeks away, I feel compelled again to write about deer stand safety. The vast majority of deer hunting injuries and deaths involve treestand falls, and of those accidents...

The mailman deposited an L.L. Bean catalog in our mailbox. I enjoy browsing through this catalog. I see all sorts of stuff I think I might need. At times, I’ll even dogear a page with the intent of sh...

Fall is the polishing time. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. For some reason, the spirit that guides us made our experiences in fall the peak of the year’s efforts. For animals, both wild and domes...

Speaking of the fall hunting season, I want to highlight a relative newcomer to the big game season — the black bear. A retired Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation official gave me some in-de...